The I-70 & SR-79 Survival Guide: What to Do When You Break Down in Licking County’s Busiest Grid
If you live in Newark or Heath, you know the "Split." The intersection of I-70 and State Route 79 is the lifeblood of Licking County commerce, but it’s also a magnet for high-speed breakdowns and rush-hour fender benders.
When your engine smokes or a tire blows near the Indian Mound Mall or the Hebron exit, you aren't just dealing with a mechanical failure—you’re dealing with a logistical nightmare. Here is how to handle the I-70/SR-79 corridor like a pro.
The Danger Zones: Where Breakdowns Happen Most
The SR-79 Northbound Merge: Narrow shoulders make this a high-risk area for flat tires.
The Hebron/Buckeye Lake Split: Confusion here often leads to sudden braking and rear-end collisions.
The Construction Zones: With Licking County’s rapid expansion, lane shifts are constant. Getting stuck in a construction "chute" requires precision recovery, not a standard hook.
3 Steps to Staying Safe While You Wait
Angle the Wheels: If you’re on the shoulder of I-70, turn your steering wheel away from the road. If someone hits your parked car, it rolls into the ditch, not into traffic.
Identify Your Landmark: Don’t just say "I’m on 79." Are you near the Southgate Shopping Center? Are you past the 70 overpass? Specifics help our dispatch bypass traffic to get to you faster.
Stay Inside: On high-speed interchanges, the safest place is inside the steel frame of your vehicle with your seatbelt on.
The Platinum Advantage: Why Local Matters
National roadside motor clubs often dispatch trucks from Columbus. By the time they hit the traffic backup at the Licking County line, you’ve been sitting in the heat (or snow) for two hours.
Platinum Towing & Recovery is already here. We know the backroads through Heath that allow us to intercept your vehicle while the "big city" guys are still stuck in the I-70 bottleneck. We don’t just tow cars; we clear the scene so Newark keeps moving.
Stuck at the Split? Don't wait for a "maybe." Call the team that owns the Heath/Newark corridor.
Call Us: 740-777-4550
